How to Apply to Public Health at the University of South Florida: A Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) in the College of Public Health That Can Be Completed Fully Online, the Declaration Page Names a 2.0 Overall and USF GPA, First-Year Applicants Must Send SAT, ACT or CLT Scores and TOEFL/IELTS Are Not Accepted, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of South Florida (USF) is a public university whose main campus is in Tampa. Its public health bachelor’s program is in the College of Public Health (COPH). The college’s undergraduate overview says it offers four undergraduate majors: the Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH), the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences (BSHS), the Bachelor of Science in Health and Nutrition Science (BSHNS) and the Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Rehabilitation Science (BSHPRS). This guide focuses on the BSPH and touches on Health Sciences, and is organized by U.S. applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Two things could not be read: the BSPH degree requirements sit in USF’s Acalog undergraduate catalog (a third-party hosted catalog that was not visited), and tuition amounts are in PDFs and a login page. Check both on the official site (sources at the end).

1. Degrees and options

• BSPH: the BSPH page says the program teaches the many facets of public health, including public health programs and policies, environmental health, epidemiology, global health and biostatistics in society, and every student learns public health writing, critical issues in public health, and the foundations of evaluation and research. USF calls it the first bachelor’s in public health housed in an accredited college of public health in Florida (the college’s home page says the first accredited BSPH in the state), and it can be completed fully online. Major electives can be focused on global health, nutrition, environmental health or infection control. The overview page adds specialized coursework in pre-health, epidemiology, biostatistics, food safety, infection control, nutrition, global health, environmental and occupational health, and health coaching, completed fully online or through a mix of online and classroom courses.
• The other three majors: Health Sciences (BSHS) has five concentrations: biological health sciences, social and behavioral health sciences, healthcare simulation science, health care administration and health information technology. Health and Nutrition Science (BSHNS) is for students aiming at registered dietitian nutritionist careers or graduate study such as physician assistant, physical therapy and medical school. Health and Physical Rehabilitation Science (BSHPRS) is the rehabilitation-oriented major.
• Minors: the minors page lists General Public Health, Nutrition, Environmental Health, Infection Control, Community Engaged Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and Lifestyle Medicine; the declaration page lists only the first five, so the two pages differ. Rules: at least 6 credits and two courses exclusive to the minor (not counted toward the major or other minors), taken at USF, upper-level. The Infection Control minor is modeled on the a-IPC certification exam, and the Lifestyle Medicine minor leads to certification in lifestyle medicine coaching with eligibility for the national board exam, according to the pages.
• Bachelor’s/master’s pathways: the BSPH page says USF has Bachelor/Master’s Pathways for highly qualified undergraduates and points to the Acalog catalog for details. That page was not read, so whether international students are eligible and the GPA and credit terms are not published on the pages read; ask the college’s advisors.
• Honors and community: the Health Scholars Program is for public health and health sciences majors with a 3.5 GPA or higher who will be enrolled at least the next fall and spring; it is a 9-month cohort program and applications open each spring. The page says new USF students may apply even without a USF GPA. The COPH Bulls in Health Living Learning Community in Poplar Hall is open to first-year, transfer and current students who major or plan to major in Health Sciences or Public Health, with an academic advisor holding office hours in the hall.
• STEM designation and practicum/internship hours: not stated on the pages read; ask the college advisors.
• Pre-health and graduate school: the pre-health page says prerequisites for health professions such as medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, physician assistant, veterinary and physical therapy can be taken alongside any COPH major, with certified pre-health advisors. The college also has master’s, doctoral and certificate programs, not covered here.

2. How you get into the major

• Is it a restricted major? The freshman requirements page (and the international freshman page) lists “majors with specific high school GPA and/or test requirements”: only Biomedical Engineering and Nursing. Public health is not on the list. The transfer page has a separate “requirements by major” page, which was not read.
• Declaring the major: the declaration page says all students need a 2.0 overall GPA and a 2.0 USF GPA to declare a College of Public Health major.
• Whether you pick a major on the application or apply separately to the college: not stated on the pages read. The college’s admissions page sends undergraduates to USF’s undergraduate application (admissions.usf.edu). Ask the undergraduate advisors at (813) 974-4633 or UG-COPHadvise@usf.edu.
• Seat limits: not published; the only evidence is that public health is not on the restricted list.
• Internal transfer: the only condition on the pages is the 2.0 GPA to declare; other conditions are not published.

3. Prerequisites and curriculum

• High school courses (university-wide, not a public health requirement): at least 18 approved units in five core subject areas plus two academic electives: English 4, mathematics 4 (for 2011 graduates or later, including one course above Algebra I), natural science 3, social science 3, foreign language 2, electives 2. The most competitive applicants typically complete 20 academic units, and USF expects coursework beyond the state minimum in math, science and foreign language.
• Foreign Language Entrance Requirement (FLENT): two units of the same foreign language (or two college semesters, or sign language), which can be met in several ways; you may still be admitted without it but must meet it before you graduate.
• BSPH math, statistics and science requirements, the required courses (biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health, health policy and so on) and AP/IB credit: these are in the Acalog catalog, which was not read, so not published on the pages read. The GPA page only says AP, IB, dual enrollment and AICE courses add 1.0 quality point and honors courses 0.5 (with a C or better) when USF recalculates the admission GPA; that is not course credit.

4. Rounds, deadlines and materials (first-year, fall 2027)

• Deadlines (the page says “Fall/Summer 2027 semester start”): Early Action (non-binding) application November 2, 2026, materials November 16, decision December 9; Regular Decision application December 16, 2026, materials January 15, 2027, decision February 10, 2027; Rolling application March 1, 2027, materials March 15, with rolling decisions from early March. USF lists Early Action perks as priority for campus and term and automatic merit scholarship consideration. The scholarship consideration deadline is January 15, 2027 (application and materials complete).
• How to apply: USF’s own application or the Common App, with no preference between them. The application fee is $30, nonrefundable, with an SAT/ACT/CLT fee waiver request available.
• Required materials: the self-reported transcript system (STARS); official SAT, ACT or CLT scores sent directly by the testing agency (scores from the Common App, a counselor or a screenshot are not accepted; SAT code 5828, ACT code 0761; for summer or fall entry test before December). Students who completed coursework outside the U.S. may not need STARS and should send official transcripts instead.
• Essay and recommendations: USF says it does not request an essay or personal statement and will not open one if you send it. Recommendation letters are not listed among the application steps; not published.
• Testing: one of the SAT, ACT or CLT is required. Minimum subscores: SAT Reading and Writing 490 and Math 480; ACT Reading 19, English 17 and Math 19; CLT Verbal Reasoning plus Grammar/Writing 38 and Quantitative Reasoning 16. For fall 2026 the page gives mid-range scores of SAT 1290–1420, ACT 28–32, CLT 92–100 and an average GPA range of 4.13–4.58. USF superscores each section across dates.
• After admission: a $200 admissions deposit, a freshman orientation date and final transcripts.

5. The three readers

U.S. applicants

• In-state and out-of-state tuition are charged separately; the amounts are in the USF tuition PDF, which was not read, so not published on the pages read. The how-to-apply page says residency is determined from the application and you are told after admission; USF has a residency page for the rules.
• The cost page says filing the FAFSA automatically considers you for federal, state and university aid, and a complete application by the scholarship deadline is automatically considered for admissions scholarships; the scholarships page also links to Florida’s Bright Futures program.
• Dual enrollment: USF requires a 2.50 unweighted GPA in dual enrollment courses.

International applicants

• English: applicants from non-English-speaking countries prove English with the SAT, ACT or CLT sub-scores: SAT Reading and Writing at least 490, ACT English at least 17 and Reading at least 19, CLT Verbal Reasoning plus Writing at least 38. USF says plainly that it does not accept TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or similar tests as substitutes for these minimums.
• You may apply up to one year ahead. Transcripts: originals or certified copies, with a certified English translation for anything not in English; USF generally expects 12–13 years of study and a diploma or graduation certificate.
• Application fee: $30; international wire payments can use Flywire.
• Funds and visa: the pages say that after admission USF International Services contacts you for your passport and financial documentation and issues the I-20 for an F-1 visa; visitors in B1/B2 status are prohibited from degree study. The amount of funds required is not stated on the pages read.
• Scholarships: the international scholarships page says first-year applicants who complete the summer or fall 2027 application by January 15, 2027 are considered automatically with no extra application, and awards are notified by postal mail. The options are Green and Gold out-of-state waivers: Presidential about $44,000 (up to $11,000 a year), Directors about $36,000 (up to $9,000 a year), Scholars about $20,000 (up to $5,000 a year). They apply only to out-of-state tuition, not housing, meals or books. Most international students do not qualify for the FAFSA.
• Work or internship limits: not stated on the pages read; ask USF International Services.

Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages read do not say whether it is considered or give a cut-off; not published. International freshmen still must submit SAT, ACT or CLT scores, which are also how English is shown.
• Documents: the pages give only the general rule for secondary education outside the U.S.: transcripts, diploma and national exam results with certified English translations. Whether provincial exams or similar records are asked for separately is not published.
• Country page: USF has a by-country page (local admission counselors and academic requirements) that loads with a script and was not read; select China on the country page.

6. Costs and scholarships, a note

• The cost pages give no amounts; they are in the tuition-rate PDF (fall 2026 to summer 2027 undergraduate rates), which was not read, and the 2026-27 cost-of-attendance charts (with housing and meals) are on another host (tup-ofa.forest.usf.edu) that redirects to a sign-in page, also not read. A program surcharge for public health is not published.
• Admissions scholarships are considered automatically if the application is complete by the January 15, 2027 scholarship deadline; there are Florida resident and non-resident tracks, a grandparent waiver and National Merit options on the scholarships page.

7. Transfer

• Categories: lower-level (12–59 credits), upper-level (60 or more); with fewer than 12 college credits after high school, apply as a first-year student.
• Lower-level: transfer GPA of at least 2.50 (3.60 for nursing); at least 67% of attempted credits completed; high school GPA at least 2.5; high school transcripts and SAT/ACT/CLT are required (waived with 30 or more completed hours and a C or better in college English and math if all other requirements are met).
• Upper-level: transfer GPA at least 2.0 with a Florida College System A.A., 2.3 without; a C or better in college English composition and math; college transcripts only, with no high school transcript or test scores required.
• Deadlines: fall 2027 entry application June 1, 2027 and materials June 15; spring 2027 entry (classes begin January 11, 2027) application November 1, 2026 and materials November 15; summer 2027 entry application March 1, 2027 and materials March 15. USF says processing can take 4–6 weeks and it may close transfer admission early.
• Moving into public health: the condition to declare the major is still a 2.0 overall and USF GPA. Whether there are public-health-specific transfer prerequisites is not stated on the pages read (the “requirements by major” page was not read).
• International transfer: college transcripts are required; credentials from non-U.S. institutions may need an evaluation by a NACES member service (such as ECE or Josef Silny) with a certified English translation. The international transfer page also says upper-level applicants from non-English-speaking countries need a TOEFL above 79, IELTS above 6.5 or Duolingo above 110, while lower-level applicants use SAT/ACT/CLT sub-scores. That differs from the international freshman rule of no TOEFL or IELTS, so check the rule for your own category.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• USF application or Common App; Early Action November 2, Regular December 16; $30 fee; SAT, ACT or CLT required; no essay
• Public health is not on the restricted-major list; declaring needs a 2.0 overall and USF GPA; the BSPH can be completed fully online

International applicants (including China):

• English shown by SAT Reading and Writing 490, ACT English 17 plus Reading 19, or CLT 38, with no TOEFL or IELTS substitute; transcripts with certified English translation
• Gaokao and China-specific notes are not published; tuition amounts, the funds amount and work limits were not on the pages read

Transfer students:

• 12 or more credits counts as transfer; fall 2027 entry application June 1, 2027; upper-level GPA 2.0 (with a Florida A.A.) or 2.3; non-U.S. college credentials may need an evaluation

Sources: University of South Florida, College of Public Health: Undergraduate; Bachelor of Science in Public Health; Declaration of Major and Minor; Minors; Health Scholars; Pre-Health; Living Learning Community; Freshman Academic Requirements; Freshman Dates and Deadlines; Freshman How to Apply; Freshman Cost of Attendance; Freshman Scholarships; International Freshman Requirements; International Freshman Deadlines; International Freshman How to Apply; International Scholarships; Immigration Information; Transfer Requirements; Transfer Dates and Deadlines; International Transfer Requirements; Tuition and Fee Rates. Information is for fall 2027 entry. The BSPH degree requirements sit in USF’s Acalog undergraduate catalog, which was not read; tuition amounts are in PDFs and a login page, which were not read either. Check USF’s website for the latest.